(Not Applicable)
(Not Applicable)
The present invention relates generally to fishing equipment and, more particularly, to an automatic two-speed transmission for a fishing reel to provide automatic shifting from high speed to low speed and from low speed to high speed.
Big game fishing tackle is characterized by heavy-duty revolving spool reels. Most big game reels today are lever drag reels of either the single speed or two-speed variety. However, despite their increased cost, two-speed lever drag reels account for half of all lever drag reels sold. In fact, reel technicians upgrade some single speed reels to two-speed versions with after-market conversions.
The prior art describes a manual two-speed fishing reel including a low speed gear engageable with a second low speed gear and a high speed gear engageable with a second high speed gear, the second low and high speed gears driving a spool. A shifter transmits the rotation of a handle shaft from the first low gear to the first high gear in order to engage the high gear, and vice versa. However, this arrangement is problematic in that manual shifting is cumbersome because both hands may be occupied in fighting a large fish, with one hand on the rod and the other on the crank handle. Even temporarily removing either hand may lead to the loss of the fish.
The prior art also describes a two-speed fishing reel allowing bi-directional reeling through the use of a cylindrical shaft for transmitting force from a crank handle. The cylindrical shaft is axially slidable and can alternately engage either a low speed gear or a high speed gear upon the manual pushing or pulling of a control button. However, the manually selectable two-speed fishing reel of this configuration has the same drawbacks that are inherent in any manually selectable two-speed fishing reelxe2x80x94namely, the need for the angler to divert attention when fighting a large or powerful fish to manually push or pull a control button to effect a gear change. Manually changing gears, as may be required many times during the course of landing a large and powerful fish, could result in losing the fish if the fishing line slackens during the time that it takes to manually shift gears.
Also included in the prior art is an automatic two-speed drive mechanism. Two driving gears of different diameters are rotatably mounted on a main shaft, the two driving gears meshing with two smaller driven gears. The two driven gears are biased toward each other with springs. Cam surfaces are disposed on the ends of the driven gears facing each other, the cam surfaces disengaging the driven gears and urging them axially away from each other when the smaller driven gear rotates relative to the larger driven gear in one direction. When the larger driven gear rotates relative to the smaller driven gear in this direction, the cams drivingly couple the two driven gears together. Included with the configuration is the ability to set the frictional force on the high gear independent from the frictional force setting of the low gear so that the frictional settings are compatible with the type of lure used and the type of fishing. However, the drawback to the above mechanism is that the construction is complicated with many moving parts and the manufacturing cost is high.
Another automatic two-speed drive mechanism included in the prior art is a planetary gear configuration wherein planetary gears extend from one side of a high speed main drive gear and are engaged by a secondary drive gear. A friction clutch is interposed between a main drive shaft and the main drive gear. When the friction clutch slips, the secondary drive gear, through orbital rotation of the planet gears, drives the main drive gear. As planetary gear systems necessarily involve many parts, the two-speed drive mechanism of this configuration is also complicated and costly.
As can be seen, there is a need for an automatic shifting two-speed lever drag fishing reel that can automatically and rapidly shift from low speed to high speed and vice versa without the need for manual speed selection by the user. Additionally, there is a need for an automatic shifting two-speed lever drag fishing reel wherein the frictional torque is easily adjustable. Furthermore, there is a need for an automatic two-speed transmission for a fishing reel that is low cost and of simple construction with a minimal number of parts.
The present invention specifically addresses and alleviates the above referenced deficiencies associated with the use of the two-speed fishing reels of the prior art. More particularly, the present invention is an improved, automatic two-speed transmission for a fishing reel that will automatically shift into high speed gear ratio when tension on the line is low. As will be demonstrated below, the automatic two-speed transmission of the present invention differs from existing two-speed lever drag fishing reel transmissions in that it does not require manual shifting by the operator to change from a high speed gear ratio to a low speed gear ratio. The automatic two-speed transmission will automatically shift into low speed gear ratio when fishing line tension exceeds a predetermined setting of the tension preset wheel. The tension preset wheel is also easily adjustable for regulating the point at which the transmission shifts from high gear to low gear and from low gear to high gear.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an automatic two-speed transmission for a fishing reel that will automatically shift from high speed to low speed and from low speed to high speed. The automatic two-speed transmission of the present invention includes a reel frame side plate connected to a reel frame, the transmission driving a spool rotatably mounted on a spool shaft. The transmission includes a drive shaft that is carried by the reel frame side plate. A crank handle connected to the drive shaft rotates the drive shaft. A drive sleeve is carried on and non-rotatably fixed to the drive shaft.
A low gear, freely rotatable on the drive shaft, drives a low pinion gear with the low pinion gear connected to the spool shaft, the spool shaft disposed parallel to the drive shaft and journaled into the reel side plate. A low gear driver is slidably disposed on the drive shaft. The low gear driver is non-rotatable on the drive sleeve.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the low gear driver includes six posts for engaging a set of arcuate mating cavities on the low gear. Engagement of the gear driver posts with the arcuate mating cavities enables the rotation of the low gear. Also in a preferred embodiment, the arcuate mating cavities of the low gear have ramps allowing the chamfer posts of the gear driver to smoothly disengage from the arcuate mating cavities when the low gear rotates at a speed greater than that of the drive shaft. Optionally, the low gear driver may have only three posts for engaging three arcuate mating cavities in the low gear. However, there are a number of arrangements that can provide the necessary engagement and disengagement characteristics of the low gear driver with the low gear.
The drive sleeve also includes a pair of clutch washers that are held non-rotatable on the drive sleeve. In a preferred embodiment, an anti-reverse gear fixed to the drive sleeve provides bearing support for one of the clutch washers. The anti-reverse gear prevents the transmission from rotating in a rearward direction. The other of the pair of clutch washers is located adjacent the low gear driver.
Interposed between the low gear driver and one of the clutch washers is a set of springs. The biasing force of the springs allows the posts of the low gear driver to engage the arcuate mating grooves of the low gear only when the low gear is rotating slower than the drive shaft while the posts and mating grooves are aligned. Optionally, at least one spring such as a cone spring may be interposed between the low gear driver and the clutch washer concentric to the low gear driver.
A high gear, disposed between the pair of clutch washers and freely rotatable on the drive sleeve, is located adjacent the low gear, the high gear having a diameter greater than that of the low gear. The high gear drives a high pinion gear, the high pinion gear connected to the spool shaft, which as mentioned above, is journaled into the reel side plate and disposed parallel to the drive shaft.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a pair of annular clutch discs mounted on the drive gear on either side of the high gear. The clutch discs provide frictional resistance against the high gear in order to engage the high gear. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that an alternate arrangement may also be possible where the annular clutch discs may be omitted altogether. In this scenario, the clutch washers alone are configured to provide frictional resistance for engaging the high gear.
A tension preset device located on the end of the drive shaft provides a selectively adjustable predetermined compression load between the clutch washers and the high gear. In the preferred embodiment, the tension preset device is a tension preset wheel that is threadably attached to the threaded portion of the drive shaft. The tension preset wheel moves the drive sleeve and the drive shaft axially relative to each other in order to squeeze the high gear between the clutch washers.
In operation, when there is no resistance on the fishing line, the clutch discs and/or clutch washers apply frictional force to the high gear so that the high gear is driven frictionally by rotation of the drive shaft. This in turn causes the high pinion gear to rotate the spool in a forward direction to reel in line at a high rate of speed at low resistance. In this condition, the low pinion gear causes the low gear to rotate at a speed greater than that of the drive shaft and low gear driver, prohibiting the low gear driver from engaging the low gear as the posts of the low gear driver rotate and slide past the arcuate mating cavities of the low gear.
When the resistance on the fishing line is greater than the clutch frictional resistance exerted on the high gear by the clutch discs and/or clutch washers, the high gear slips, losing its ability to drive the spool. As the high gear slips, the high and low pinion gears slow down, allowing the drive shaft and low gear driver to match the rotational speed of the low gear. When the rotational speed of the low gear driver matches or exceeds the rotational speed of the low gear, the low gear driver engages the low gear. This in turn drives the low pinion gear and spool of the reel, providing the user with a greater mechanical advantage at the crank handle.
However, in the case where the transmission is in low gear, the resistance to the fishing line may be suddenly reduced, such as if a fish on the line turns and runs toward the user causing the line to slacken. In this condition, the frictional resistance of the clutch discs and/or washers against the high gear is greater than the resistance applied to the fishing line, allowing the high gear to resume driving the high pinion gear. The low gear driver then disengaging from the low gear, allowing the user to again reel in line at a high rate of speed. The above scenario where the transmission automatically shifts from low gear to high gear and back to low gear may be repeated many times during the course of fighting and landing a fish. The tension preset wheel is adjustable to regulate the point at which the transmission assembly shifts from high gear to low gear and from low gear to high gear.